(You'll noticed I changed my topic. I had a very hard time writing about male homosociality without making it sociological. My research led me down a different path that I think will be more literary.)
In my paper, I will examine the role of fiction in biographical writing. I will prove that the very process of memory and storytelling lead to inaccuracies in the factual data of the story, but these inaccuracies actually enhance not hinder the truth of the story when the writer uses them to explain the meaning of the story that cannot be translated across space and time.
I want to examine what I call the “you-had-to-be-there” moment. Because the story is a recollection of the past, a mere copy of what once was, the story looses some of its meaning. The writer can skillfully uses the tools of inclusion, exclusion, exaggeration, archetypes, frames, verisimilitude and satire/irony to make the moment more real for the reader and transport them to that time. This allows the writer not to say, “You had to be there,” but rather, “You’re there.”
Thesis: Sedaris use of exaggeration, framing and archetypal characters allows a more accurate portrayal of the truth of his stories.
Bascom, Tim. "'True' stories, and necessary lies: A memoir writer reflects on the inescapable distortions of memory in describing one's past." Writer 122.10 (2009): 38. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 12 Nov. 2010
Bascom contends that both truth and lies are inherent to biographical writing. This is, in fact, part of the genre. Will be used to examine the “truthful” accounts of Sedaris’ life in a more literary way. If the reader can accept the non-fiction essays as literature a new realm of examination and criticism can be applied to Sedaris’ work.
Chandler, Kurt. "Write for readers, not your subjects: To make it real, write initially as if the latter are 'blind or dead,' and worry later about offending people, this author advises." Writer 121.11 (2008): 32-33. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 12 Nov. 2010.
Chandler maintains that the memoirist must be ruthlessly honest about himself and others in his life. This relates to Sedaris’ often stinging accounts of his families’ foibles. Chandler sees truth as the basis for biographical writing. Will contrast with Bascom and Korda’s looser definition of truth in biography.
Heard, A. "THIS AMERICAN LIE: How could so many funny things have happened to David Sedaris? Our intrepid reporter sifts fact from fiction." NEW REPUBLIC 236.4809 (2007): 35-40. British Library Document Supply Centre Inside Serials & Conference Proceedings. EBSCO. Web. 10 Nov. 2010.
This article is an account of inaccuracies, exaggerations or factual errors in Sedaris’ supposedly non-fiction essays. Also, it presents the opinions of Sedaris’ father and sister about the way they are represented in his stories. I will use this article to examine the nature of exaggeration in biographical writing and how it is deemed more acceptable when the stories are funny, as is the case with Sedaris.
Korda, Michael. "imagining nonfiction." Forbes 166.9 (2000): 107-121. Business Source Premier. EBSCO. Web. 12 Nov. 2010.
Korda explains the connection between the “Non-Fiction” label and the way a reader responds to the work of art because of that label. It is his opinion that biographical works, despite the “Non-Fiction” label, should not be taken as the truth. I will expand on Korda’s argument to state that even if all the elements in a autobiographical work are indeed true, the exclusion of other events from the life of the writer makes the work an inherently untrue version of the writer’s life.
Reginato, James. "Butt Out." W Magazine 37.6 (2008): 96. Biography Reference Center. EBSCO. Web. 10 Nov. 2010.
This article is somewhat of a rebuttal to Heard’s. Sedaris is allowed to state his own opinion on the matter of factual errors in his work. He says, “I think a memoir is pretty much the last place an intelligent person would look for the truth.” Sedaris’ opinion is more in line with Bascom’s than Heard’s. I will use this article to explain Sedaris method of writing and his use of exaggeration for comedic effect.
Sedaris, David. Barrel Fever: Stories and Essays. Boston: Little Brown, 1994. Print.
This is Sedaris’ first book. It contains 12 fiction stories and 4 non-fiction essays and will be used to compare and contrast Sedaris’ storytelling techniques in the fiction and non-fiction genres. Also, I will highlight the overlap of characters between his short stories and later essays and examine the effect of reality on the reader’s perception of humor and tragedy.
Sedaris, David. Me Talk Pretty One Day. Boston: Little, Brown, & Co, 2000. Print.
This Sedaris’ fourth book, released prior to Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. It is a collection of essays that focuses on Sedaris’ childhood and adjusting to a new culture when he moves to France. I will discuss the essays about his childhood because of how they overlap with the stories about Sedaris’ family in Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. I will also examine the essay “Giant Dreams, Midget Abilities” and its overlap in characters and content to the earlier fiction story “My Manuscript” from Barrel Fever.
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